The Prodigal
by PrehistoricCat
Summary: Ten years have passed since Connor Temple disappeared through an anomaly leaving a devastated Abby behind to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Time heals and she's moved on... or has she?
1. Chapter 1

**Testing the waters with this... **

* * *

"Mrs Anderson? Can I have a quick word?"

Abby stopped but didn't turn around. She'd been expecting this for a few days now but had hoped to avoid it. The teacher had written in Louise's school diary that they were concerned about her.

"Of course," she said, forcing a smile and turning to face the young teacher. "Though I do have to..."

"It'll only take a few minutes. Louise can sit in the library and wait for you there, Mrs Hamilton is there with her after school club."

Abby nodded at Louise, who was biting on her bottom lip and looking very worried. The six year old believed there was only one reason why her teacher wanted to talk to her mum. She was in trouble. "It's OK sweetheart," Abby reassured. "Daddy and I will talk to you later."

In the classroom, Abby sat by the teacher's desk and waited. After reading the notes in the diary, she and Matt had prepared a story just in case. She wished he was here now; he was so much better than her at spinning a cover story.

"Your daughter has quite a vivid imagination," Mrs Peterson began. "Not that that is a bad thing of course, but we've had some complaints from other parents that some of the things Louise is saying is scaring their children to a point where they're having nightmares and have told their children to stay away. We've also noticed that some of the children are being unkind to Louise, calling her names and saying she's weird. She doesn't seem to have many friends."

Abby was afraid of this. Right from the start, she and Matt had decided that they would not keep the ARC or the nature of their work a secret from their daughter. They had tried to drum it into Louise that she couldn't tell anyone else, but it seemed she was finding that too difficult.

"As I'm sure you're aware, I'm a zoologist, and I specialise in reptiles," Abby began, launching into the story she and Matt has rehearsed. "And my husband is a botanist doing research into rare, tropical species. We often bring our work home with us, and our home is a menagerie of exotic creatures and plants."

The teacher smiled, "Louise has told us. I'm sure it's a very interesting and stimulating environment for a child."

"We're keen that Louise understands what we're doing. Our work is all about evolution and prehistory."

"And that's where the problem is, Mrs Anderson. Louise has an obsession with wild, prehistoric creatures and that's what is scaring the other children. Perhaps when her writing skills are more developed we can channel some of her imagination into creative writing, but for the moment..."

"I understand. We have spoken to her before, but we'll have another chat this weekend. I'm glad you brought it to our attention."

Abby couldn't wait to get away. As they walked back toward the car, she allowed Louise to skip ahead, giving her a few moments to her own thoughts. It was partly her fault that Louise was the way she was. She'd wanted Louise to have a love of dinosaurs right from the start; it was the kind of child that Connor would have wanted, but it was only now that she was realising that fact. She'd been pregnant when Connor first disappeared through the anomaly that closed sooner than the device had predicted it would, though he didn't know it. She'd planned to tell him over dinner that evening. The stress of the following weeks was too much and she miscarried, plunging her even deeper into depression. She'd lost the only thing she had left connecting her to Connor.

It would be two long years before Abby began to accept that the likelihood of him coming back was very slim and that she needed to snap out of it and move on with her life. The thing with Matt had crept up on her; he'd been the one that had dragged her out for dinner when she really didn't want to go out in public. He'd spent long hours with her in the local park, listening to her talk and sometimes holding her when she needed to cry. In return, she cooked for him and listened to him when his relationship with Emily was beginning to fall apart. It was one afternoon as she sat sewing a button back on his jacket for him that she realised just how much she missed taking care of someone else. When Matt confessed that the reason Emily had left him was because she thought he had fallen in love with someone else, it made sense and all fell into place. Three years after Connor's disappearance, Abby married Matt in a small service at the local registry office and fell pregnant with Louise almost straight away.

"Are you cross with me, mummy?" Louise asked as Abby made sure that she was properly strapped into the back seat of the car.

"No sweetheart, but I wish you'd told me that the other boys and girls were being unkind to you. Daddy and I could've done something about it."

"I'm sorry. I thought you'd be angry with me because you said that I couldn't tell anyone about the anomalies."

Abby sighed and kissed Louise on the cheek. "That doesn't matter now. We need to think about how we can put things right for you and make school a happy place again." She got into the driving seat and started the engine, glancing in the rear view mirror at the sad little girl in the back. Abby's heart broke for her. She knew only too well the pain caused by bullying; being branded as "weird" or "odd". In her own childhood, she'd dealt with it by becoming a bully herself but that made her even more lonely than she had been before. She also remembered stories Connor had told her about being bullied at school after his father had died. It was something she had hoped to be able to protect her own daughter from, and right now she felt like a complete failure.

-o-

It was a long, stressful evening with many tears. When they finally got Louise settled enough to go to sleep, both Abby and Matt were exhausted. They'd not been able to come to any solutions and the tension between them grew as the evening progressed. Abby came out of Louise's room after tucking her into bed to find Matt pouring them both a glass of wine.

"A little back up would've been appreciated," she said shortly, picking up her glass and drinking a long mouthful. "You may as well not have been here."

"I just don't have the experience of school and kids and bullying. Anything I could've suggested would be meaningless."

"She just needed her daddy to tell her that he was there for her and that he wasn't cross with her."

Matt shifted forward awkwardly then glared at her angrily. "Well I'm sorry that I'm such a failure as a parent. I'm trying my best, but clearly that's not good enough."

Abby slammed her glass down. "It just takes a little empathy, that's all. You may not have had formal schooling but surely you at least have some idea what it's like to be a child?"

He sighed and shook his head. They'd been through this many times before. Matt's early life had not been conventional, and whilst he had no difficulty fitting into a military or government role, ordinary life often left him baffled. Abby was normally sympathetic and guided him through unfamiliar situations, but it seemed that her worry over Louise was making her irrational. There would be no talking to her whilst she was in this mood.

"Perhaps we need a little break?" he said softly. "Why don't we take a drive to the coast tomorrow, just the three of us? A bit of family time might..."

"You really don't have a clue do you?" Abby snapped. "You know what? Connor would've known how to help Louise." The moment the words left her lips, Abby regretted them. If she could take them back, she would, but they had already done their damage. She could almost see Matt's soul shattering inside. The fight left him, his shoulders dropped and he silently placed his glass on the table before rising slowly to stand.

"I'm going to bed," he said, striding towards the door of the room they shared.

"Matt..." It was too late. The door was already closed and he had shut her out. With her head in her hands, Abby tried to clear her mind. Why did she have to say that about Connor? It was the cruellest of blows to throw something like that at him. He couldn't help it if he'd not been brought up around other children or allowed the basics of childhood that most people took for granted. She didn't blame him for walking away; in fact she wouldn't blame him if he left her altogether. She'd been snapping at him a lot lately for no reason at all.

"You're an idiot, Abigail Anderson," she said out loud. Matt had been wonderful. He'd helped her get through the lowest point in her life, he'd been her strength and her comfort and she really couldn't ask for a more attentive and loving husband. If she didn't sort herself out, she would lose him. That was a terrifying thought and was something that she couldn't allow to happen. Leaving the half drunk glasses on the table, she went into the bedroom.

Matt was laid on his side with his back to her as she sat on the bed to undress. He didn't turn or roll over to acknowledge her as he would usually do when he'd gone to bed before her. She really had hurt him this time. She slid herself under the duvet and pressed herself against his back, circling her arm around his waist and nestling her head into the curve of his neck and shoulder. His scent filled her nostrils and infiltrated all of her senses; this was where she felt safe and comforted. "Matt," she whispered, planting a soft kiss to his neck. "I'm sorry. I was out of order. What I said about Connor..."

He rolled onto his back and sighed. "Why does it always feel like there's a third person in our marriage?"

"What?" Abby was taken aback.

"Connor's always there. I feel like you're constantly comparing me to him, like I don't measure up. In your eyes, I'll never be as good as him. I'll never be the husband that you think he would've been, I'll never be as good a father as you think he would..."

"That's not true, Matt!"

"Isn't it? Right now, it certainly feels like that." He rolled back over, practically shrugging her off. Abby was stunned. She had no idea that he felt like that. How long had he thought she was comparing him to Connor? It was only this afternoon that she'd realised she had been encouraging Louise to be the daughter that Connor might have raised, but it clearly wasn't the only thing she'd been doing without even realising it. She loved Matt, so she couldn't understand why she was unconsciously thinking about Connor. Tears were beginning to sting her eyes as her fear of losing Matt began to well up.

She had to get out of the room and try to shake off this feeling. Slowly sliding out of bed and putting her dressing gown on, she then tiptoed out so as not to disturb Matt. By the time she'd taken the wine glasses into the kitchen, her tears were flowing freely. Angrily wiping them away, she attempted to rinse the glasses through under the tap but she couldn't focus and one slid from her hand, breaking as it hit the base of the sink. She then cut her finger as she tried to pick up the pieces. Now sobbing hard, she leaned against the sink and just let it all out.

Abby had no idea how long she'd been stood there for when she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder, warm breath at her neck and an arm circling her waist. "Come back to bed, Abby," he whispered. "It's too cold without you."

"I'm sorry," Abby turned and buried her head against Matt's chest, allowing him to envelope her in his embrace. She clung to him, relieved that he hadn't shut her out completely but still afraid that the things that had been said tonight were driving a huge wedge between them.

"I'm sorry too," he said, kissing the top of her head. "We're both tired and stressed because our daughter is having a hard time at the moment and we couldn't agree on a way to help her. But taking it out on each other is not the answer. We need to be together on this."

"I know, and maybe you're right. Some family time is needed. I don't remember the last time just the three of us went off somewhere. It'll do all of us some good to unwind I think."

"Louise'll be up early anyway. We can head off straight after breakfast."

Abby felt better already, the tension beginning to leave her body. She was aware of Matt's hand sliding into the opening of her dressing gown as he dipped his head to seek her lips for a kiss. Need coursed through her body as their limbs tangled, and when his fingers grasped hers and tugged her hand she knew where he was taking her and she willingly let him lead her back to their bed.

-o-

It really had been a great idea to come to the beach together. They'd found a secluded spot well away from the shops and tourists and settled themselves for the day. Right now, Abby was leaning against a rock pretending to be engrossed in her book whilst she sneakily watched Matt and Louise play. They were both bare foot and rolling up their jeans to their knees, getting ready to paddle in the sea. Louise's high pitched giggles filled the air, punctuated by Matt's deeper laughs, and it made Abby smile. They began to race each other towards the sea, with Matt clearly holding back to make Louise think she was winning, then he predictably caught up with her, grabbing her around the waist and lifting her off her feet to spin her around. The squeals that met Abby's ears were like music. Seeing Matt letting his guard down and experiencing something that she'd taken for granted as a child made her heart feel light. Simple pleasures making for treasured memories.

This is what Louise needs, she thought. Normal. Perhaps they should have sheltered her from the realities of their work a little, at least until she was mature enough to understand why she should keep it secret from others. She would try to encourage a bit more normality in their lives – perhaps Louise would like to go to the local gym with her and join in on the junior judo classes or something? She'd seen the little ones coming out of their class sometimes when she went to the gym and it had never crossed her mind that Louise might be interested. It would be a start at least.

Later, sandwiches eaten, Louise was content to sit a little distance from her parents making sandcastles whilst they sat, snuggled into each other. "Are we OK? After last night..." Matt asked.

"Of course we are, last night was just … I love you and we'll get through this." She kissed Matt and he whispered that he loved her too. All was well with the Anderson family once again.

It was already starting to get dark by the time they'd eaten their fish and chips supper and were heading back to the car. Abby felt her mobile phone begin to vibrate in her back pocket and she pulled it out. Matt's phone had also come to life as both of them were alerted to several text messages and Matt had a couple of voicemails as well.

"I guess we've not had a signal whilst we've been on the beach," Matt said as he dialled the number to access his voicemails.

"Mine are all from Becker," Abby said. "Do you think we've missed an anomaly?" All her messages were similar; Becker wanted her to get Matt to call him 'urgently'. She glanced over at Matt, who was listening to his messages with a worried expression on his face. "What's wrong? Has there been an anomaly? Please tell me there hasn't been an accident?"

"We have to go the ARC, we'll drop Louise at Jess and Becker's on the way. Jess is expecting us."

"Matt?"

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, preparing to tell Abby what Becker had said in his messages. "There was an anomaly earlier today. Abby... Connor came back. He's at the ARC now."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to those that took the time to leave a review. Apologies for not updating as quickly as I usually do, the muse needs a massive kick up the backside to find inspiration. Reviews and encouragement are welcomed :)**

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"Where is he?" Abby demanded to know.

After dropping Louise at 'Auntie Jess's', she and Matt had made their way straight to the ARC. Most of their journey had been in silence, both of them lost in thought. They'd been ushered into Lester's office the moment they arrived, and Abby had assumed that Connor would be there waiting for them. When he wasn't, she grew frustrated.

Lester turned on the large screen on the wall behind his desk and Abby gasped. It was Connor, no doubt about it. A little older, greying around the temples and flecks of grey peppered his wispy beard, but there was no mistaking those huge brown eyes. He was talking to Becker fairly animatedly whilst the Captain sat and listened.

"Is he OK?" Matt asked.

"Physically yes," Lester responded. "He was given the full once over before he was put in the interview room. We're just waiting on the results of the DNA tests."

"DNA? Seriously?" Abby couldn't quite believe that Lester had felt it necessary to do such a check

"It's for your protection, Abby... our protection, the ARC's... After all of this time, we need to be certain that it's not some imposter." Matt said softly, resting his hand on his wife's shoulder hoping to calm her. She shrugged him off.

"Give me two minutes with him and I'll tell you if he's genuine or not."

"You said he's physically OK. Are there other concerns?" Matt said.

"Hard to say. I haven't been listening to the full interview but it seems he's been travelling around trying to find an anomaly that would bring him home. Being alone for the best part of ten years can't have been easy, and we've all been witness to what it did to Helen Cutter and Patrick Quinn." Lester swallowed nervously, waiting for the explosion he knew would come.

"Connor's not like them!" Abby exclaimed. "Let me go in and talk to him! Matt, tell Lester that..." She stopped. Despite the air of professionalism that Matt had adopted the moment they arrived, she knew him too well and realised that he was struggling with the events unfolding in front of his eyes. Matt was not happy and had concerns about Abby seeing Connor, and it wasn't because he was worried about whether he was an imposter or Connor's mental state.

Lester sighed and flicked a switch so that he could communicate with Becker. "Don't say anything," he said. "Abby and Matt are here. I need to determine if you think it would be a good idea for Abby to see him. Let's have a break. I'll arrange for some food and drink to be taken in for Connor whilst you come up here."

Abby paced the room, refusing to make eye contact with either Matt or Lester. She was torn. She understood their reservations, especially Matt's after what had happened yesterday, but she had to know where Connor had been and what had happened to him that had kept him away for so long. When Becker arrived, she practically pounced on him, but he addressed Lester directly and glanced at Matt occasionally whilst he spoke.

"He's not giving much away, just facts. He's not a fool, he's knows I'm trying to assess his mental state. I think the only person he wants to speak to right now is Abby, he's been asking for her all afternoon."

"How much does he know?" Matt asked.

"Nothing. I told him we were trying to get hold of her and that she'd be here as soon as we could contact her."

"You can't stop me from seeing him!" Abby said. "No-one knows him better than I do. If he's a fake, I'll know within a few minutes, and if he's not stable then I'll work that out too." She looked pleadingly at Matt, believing he was the one she actually needed to convince. He let out a sigh and nodded.

"You're right. But we'll have two of Becker's men outside the door. First sign of anything that bothers you, you call them in." He pulled her into a hug and whispered that he loved her before releasing her and again nodding his approval. Abby mouthed a 'love you too' at him before turning and practically running out of the door. If she'd turned around, she would have seen Matt's heart breaking for the second time in 24 hours.

-o-

Abby paused at the door to the interview room, taking a moment to try and compose herself. On the other side was a man she had not seen for almost ten years; a man she had loved with every inch of her heart, body and soul. They had been through so much together, things that no-one else could even begin to understand, and that had bound them together. His disappearance had devastated her and she'd been left feeling like a part of her had been lost too.

She pushed open the door and stood there, not sure how she was supposed to react. Connor was eating a sandwich and hadn't immediately realised she was there, but when he did his smile spread across his entire face and the unmistakeable dimple appeared in his cheek.

"Abby? Where have you been?"

"I could say the same of you!" She felt a tear fall down her cheek as he stood up and he moved towards her. She stepped forward too and moments later found herself in Connor's embrace. The years fell away and it was like it was only yesterday that he'd held her like this. She allowed his warmth to radiate through her for several long moments before she broke the connection and took his hand. "Talk to me."

"Wouldn't know where to start!" Connor sighed. "I waited at the anomaly site for hours, willing it to reopen. When night fell, I climbed into a nearby tree and tried to get some sleep, but all I could think about was you. As time passed, the only thing that got me through some of my lowest points was the thought of being home again with you. And here I am, at last!"

Abby's stomach twisted and she felt sick. She would have to tell him about Matt sooner rather than later. It would probably break his heart to know that she hadn't waited for him, but it was better he heard it from her and not from someone else. "Connor," she began. "Sit down."

He obeyed, sitting back down at the desk and waited for Abby to sit down. She took the chair Becker had used and moved it around so that she could sit next to him and then she took his hand. "There's something you should know," she said quietly. "Ten years is a long time to be alone,"

"Tell me about it!" Connor laughed. "There's only so many conversations you can have with yourself and most of the creatures I came across were more interested in trying to make me their next meal or running away from me." He was going to say more, but stopped when he saw Abby's serious face. "Sorry. You were going to say something?"

"I waited for you, you have to believe that. Every time we went to an anomaly, I prayed that you would come through it. Each time, another piece of my heart was torn away. It was a very difficult time and I really don't know how I kept going."

"I must admit that I thought you'd left the ARC when Becker said they were having trouble getting in contact with you. I wouldn't blame you after all that we lost because of the anomalies."

"I couldn't leave," Abby said, taking a deep breath. She was building up to the moment she was dreading. "Everyone here was amazing. They were all here for me and eventually they helped me to work out that I needed to get on with my life. Jess, Becker, Lester... Matt."

She saw Connor's eyes take on a glassy appearance. He had a idea of what she was about to say but it would not make it any easier for her to say. "When you say get on with your life..."

"I'm married. To Matt."

Connor blinked and took a deep breath. "I suppose I should say congratulations. How long?"

"Almost seven years. We have a six year old daughter, Louise. She's a dinosaur fanatic, I think you and her would get on like a house on fire." Abby had hoped that would lighten the mood, but Connor just stared down at his clasped hands resting on the desk. Not knowing what else to say, Abby reached for his hands to stroke them but he moved away.

After a long, awkward silence, Connor finally cleared his throat and spoke. "Do you know if Lester intends to keep me here like a prisoner all night or have they sorted out somewhere for me to stay?"

"I don't know," Abby said softly. "Matt and I only got here a few minutes ago. Louise has been having some problems at school so we took her to the beach for the day for some quality family time. That's why they couldn't get hold of me. You may have been away for ten years but they still haven't solved the problem of mobile phone coverage being poor in some places." Connor sniffed and changed the focus of his stare to something on the wall opposite.

"Do you want to talk?" Abby said.

"Talk? About how you've been playing happy families whilst I've been fighting for my life every day for the last ten years?" Connor was trying to sound angry, but Abby knew him too well. He was trying not to cry. Her heart was breaking for him.

"It must have been tough. Maybe it would help if you talked about some of the things that happened to you?"

"I already told Becker the important stuff. The rest... Well, it can wait."

Abby nodded. "Of course it can. You must be tired and in need of a bath and a comfy bed. I'll go and find out what Lester has planned." She stood up to leave, but Connor caught her hand and looked at her properly for the first time since she'd told him she was married.

"Does he make you happy? Matt, I mean. Do you love him?" His face was crumpling as he battled against the tears that were in his eyes.

"Yes. He's a good man, Connor."

The sound that escaped Connor's lips was somewhere between a sob and a scream. His body shook violently as he could no longer hold back the flood of tears. Abby did the only thing she could. She took him in her arms and allowed him to bury his head against her chest whilst she held him as tightly as she could.

-o-

"Turn it off," Matt said. He had no desire to watch his wife comforting the man she had once called her soul mate. Lester obliged and flicked the switch on the screen so that the image disappeared.

"This must be pretty difficult for you too," Lester said. "If there's anything we can do to help..."

Matt sighed. There was a part of him that ached to talk to someone about all of this; his concerns about his relationship with Abby that was already showing signs of cracks, and how Connor returning would very likely make things even worse between them. He feared Abby was drifting away from him and that she would fall into Connor's arms as if the last ten years hadn't happened. But he couldn't. Becker and Lester were his work colleagues. He couldn't show any sign of weakness. That was how he'd been trained and it had served him well all of his life. Abby was the only person he'd really talked to about personal stuff.

Lester also knew his staff very well, and he sensed that Matt was not going to open up easily, if he did at all. "We're all tired," he said quietly. "I think the best thing we can do is go home, get some sleep and then re-examine the situation in the morning."

"I agree," Becker said. He stood up to leave and briefly placed his hand on Matt's shoulder. It was all he could do to let Matt know he was there for him without actually breaking that unwritten rule that you couldn't talk about how you felt. "If you want to leave Louise at our place, it's fine. I'm sure Jess has already put her to bed anyway. She'll have great fun playing with Max tomorrow, you can pick her up when you and Abby are ready."

"Thanks, mate." Matt forced a smile. Leaving Louise at the Becker's was probably the best idea, and Becker was right, Louise loved playing with their dog, Max, a huge but very cuddly Old English sheepdog that liked to have his tummy tickled and run wild around the garden whilst Louise chased him.

Becker said his goodbyes and left Matt alone with Lester. "I've arranged for Connor to stay at the hotel by the train station." Lester finally said.

"You're not afraid he'll run off, or go on a rampage through the town killing everyone that gets in his way?"

"We can't keep him locked up here against his will without good reason. Becker's satisfied that he's not going to do anything stupid for the moment. He's just relieved to be home, and he wants to be with Abby. That's all that's kept him sane for the last ten years."

Matt took a deep breath. "Abby and I will take Connor to the hotel and make sure he has everything he needs for the night. We can pick him up first thing in the morning too."

"That would be appreciated, Matt. Any expenses you incur for him... put your receipts into Jess and she'll see that you're reimbursed."

Matt nodded and Lester put on his jacket and searched in his drawer for his car keys. As he was about to leave, he turned to Matt. "If the observations and experiences of a slightly older man mean anything to you... She loves you."

"Is that enough? She loved Connor too."

"It might be a rough few days, Matt. But you'll get through this." As he turned towards the door, he briefly placed his hand on Matt's shoulder in the same way that Becker had done a few minutes earlier and nodded a silent goodnight. Matt stared at the closed door for a few moments, lost in his own thoughts, and then pulled himself together. He just wanted to go home with Abby.

-o-

Matt paused at the door that led to the interview room. He was almost afraid to go inside, fearing that he'd walk in on the kind of reunion Connor had probably been dreaming of for ten years. As he'd slowly made his way through the ARC from Lester's office, he had an image of Abby stretched out across the desk with Connor between her thighs. He knew it was a crazy thought, but he couldn't help it. He'd even deliberately delayed going to the room, taking a detour to the locker rooms to see if he could find some toiletries for Connor to use. Becker was very organised and kept shower gel, deodorant and shampoo in his locker just in case he had a mishap at an anomaly. A number of the soldiers also kept spare clothing at the ARC for the same reason, and Matt soon found a t-shirt and some combat trousers that he thought would fit Connor. They would do for the moment until they could get access to Connor's possessions that Abby had had put into storage.

Realising he couldn't put this off any longer, he grasped the bag of things he'd put together for Connor firmly in one hand and pushed open the door with the other. He held his breath, trying to push down the rising bile he felt in his gullet, then let it out in relief. Abby looked up and greeted him with a warm smile, which he returned. Feeling guilty that he'd had even a tiny moment of concern, he took her hand and squeezed it.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Lester said we should all call it a night. He's sent everyone home." Connor also looked up and forced a smile. "Connor, it's good to see you after all this time. We'd almost given up on you."

"So I've been hearing," Connor responded. "I hear congratulations are in order."

"Thank you."

"And a daughter as well?"

"Every bit as beautiful as her mother," Matt smiled proudly and looked at Abby.

"Louise! Matt... It's so late, we can't just..."

"It's okay. Becker's happy for her to spend the night with him and Jess. We can collect her tomorrow. She'll be perfectly happy there for a few hours, Jess will no doubt fill her with ice cream and chocolate and we won't be able to get her to sleep tomorrow night." Abby nodded and looked at the bag in Matt's hand, prompting him to explain. He gave it to Connor.

"I hunted out a few things that you might appreciate for tonight, and there's a change of clothes for tomorrow."

Connor muttered a surprised 'thank you' and reached inside the bag, pulling out the plastic bottle of shower gel, grinning for a moment and then looking at Matt with a concerned expression. "Where am I staying?"

"Ah, Lester's sorted you out with a room at the Holiday Inn by the train station. Abby and I will take you over there now and make sure you get checked in okay."

"Hotel?" Abby frowned. "He can't spend his first night home by himself in a hotel room! He can come back to our place. I'll put clean sheets on Louise's bed and..."

"Absolutely not, Abby!"

"It's fine, honest," Connor said. "I've been alone for the last ten years, its not going to make much difference now. Besides, I wouldn't want to cause a domestic."

Abby opened her mouth to protest again, but caught the look on Matt's face and decided against it. She was too tired to argue now, and maybe it was for the best that Connor didn't come back with them. With no Louise to worry about either, she and Matt could sit down and try to get their heads around what was happening.

It was only a short journey to the hotel, but it felt like several miles. No-one spoke. Abby snuck the occasional glance back at Connor, watching him as he looked out of the window, lost in his own thoughts. It took her back to the day that they returned from the Cretaceous. They'd sat in the back of a car as they were driven to the apartment that Philip Burton had sorted for them, holding hands and glancing at the passing scenery, too overwhelmed to take in any detail. Abby wondered what was going on in Connor's head right now. Ten years was a long time, and it must look very different to how he remembered it, though she suspected it was the least of his concerns. He had probably imagined his homecoming and his reunion with Abby many times over and it was unlikely that this scenario had even crossed his mind.

She stood away from the desk whilst Matt checked Connor in and watched as Connor clutched the key card in his hand and turned towards the lifts that would take him up to his room. Her heart ached for him, despite the brave appearance she knew that look in his eyes too well. He was feeling lost and afraid, but holding it together until he could be alone. Part of her wondered if she should go up with him and make sure he got to his room okay, or even if she should make him come back with her and Matt and stay the night at theirs, despite Matt's earlier decision.

"Connor!" she called out. He glanced over, a moment of hope glimmered in his eyes but disappeared. "Try to get a few hours sleep, yeah? We'll come and get you tomorrow morning."

Connor gave a nod just as the doors to the lift opened and he stepped inside. Matt placed his hand on Abby's shoulder and whispered that they should be heading for home. "Tomorrow could be a long day," he said.

-o-

"Do you want to talk?" Abby said as she and Matt finally walked into their flat. They were both tired, but also incredibly wound up. Sleep would not come easily to either of them. Matt shook his head and disappeared into the bathroom. Abby waited a few minutes, expecting him to come back out, but then she heard the sound of running water and she realised he was filling the bath. It was how he liked to think sometimes, shutting himself away alone.

She poured herself a glass of wine and took a long mouthful before sighing and closing her eyes. Seeing Connor again after such a long time felt strange and not how she'd imagined it at all. In the first few years after he'd disappeared, she'd thought his homecoming would be tearful and happy and that they'd make up for lost time as soon as possible, jumping into bed and making love all night. After Matt came on the scene, that reunion had almost been forgotten until now. Did she feel weird because there was a part of her that felt she should have welcomed Connor more warmly or with more passion? The fact that she'd been thinking about him unconsciously for the last few days also concerned her. Did she still have such a strong connection to him that she knew he was coming back?

She shook her head and opened her eyes. It was crazy to think like that. Connor had crept into her thoughts constantly throughout the ten years he'd been away. She had missed him; his warmth, his laughter, the way he made her feel like she was the only thing in his world that mattered... But she had that with Matt too, and he was the one who had been there for her. He was the one who had held her when she felt like her world had shattered, he'd been the one that helped her pick up the pieces of her life and he was the one who had taken care of her, given her a reason to live and made her feel like she could face the world again. And right now, he was sat in the bathroom and probably terrified that she was about to leave him for Connor.

After pouring another glass of wine, she picked up both glasses and made her way to the bathroom door. She pushed it open and sat herself on the edge of the bath. Matt was wearing his headphones, listening to an audiobook with his eyes closed and hadn't heard her come in. Placing the glasses on the floor, she leaned over and kissed his cheek softly whilst placing her hands on his shoulders to massage them.

"Abby?" He pulled out his earphones and looked up at her. She kissed his lips without saying a word then handed him a glass of wine.

"Peace offering."

"I didn't realise we were at war." He took a sip and smiled. "Weird day."

"I probably could've handled things better."

There was a moment of silence, then Abby began to remove her clothing as Matt watched, a familiar glint in his eyes. She climbed into the bath with him, allowing him to surround her body with his as she settled against him. "Been a while since we did this, eh?"

"Too long," Matt whispered, pushing aside Abby's hair to expose the back of her neck so he could kiss from the nape of her neck to the shoulder. She sighed softly. "You wanted to talk?"

"I just wanted to... well, just because Connor's back it won't change anything. What you said last night about feeling like there are three people in our marriage was right. There's me, you and Louise, and that's all that matters. It's you I love and..."

Matt's lips were on hers, smothering whatever else she wanted to say. It didn't seem to matter. Either that or he was afraid to hear the rest. Lester's earlier words resonated in his head as he felt Abby caress his body. There were still some rough days ahead of them, and this was only going to be a temporary sticking plaster for the wounds they were both going to experience.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, this chapter seemed a bit easier to write... the words of support and encouragement are definitely helping! Thank you... **

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Abby glanced around the table and sipped her coffee, trying to wake herself up after a night of not really sleeping properly. This was a much better arrangement than yesterday's interview. Connor hated being interrogated, especially if he didn't feel entirely at ease with the person doing the interrogating. Although the table was round, somehow Lester had managed to sit so that he appeared to be at the 'head' of it, with Connor pretty much directly opposite him, Becker and Matt either side of Connor and Abby next to Matt.

Chat had flowed relatively easily. They'd filled Connor in on some of the comings and goings of the last ten years, including how Danny had returned about a year after Connor's disappearance. After a few weeks getting his health sorted out, he'd decided that he had had enough of anomalies and took the compensation money to begin a new life. He went to college and did courses in business management and accountancy, then bought himself a pub in the east end of London. It had apparently been a dream of his for some time. Abby smiled to herself as Becker described the pub. She and Matt had been there several times and always received a very warm welcome from their old friend.

"So you see, Connor, there is life outside the ARC, and you will receive all the support you need if that's what you want," Lester said.

"Sounds like you're trying to get rid of me again." Connor sniffed, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms.

"Not at all. We learnt from the mistakes we made with your previous return." Lester opened the large folder on his desk. "Matt and I spent a long time putting together plans for every conceivable scenario."

Abby looked at Matt. She knew that Lester would have some kind of plan in place, but she had no idea that Matt had been involved. He read her mind and reached for her hand. "I had a bit of an insight into how difficult it was readjusting to life after an extended period away. Emily made some suggestions as to how she would've liked to have been helped as well."

Abby's stomach twisted a little at the mention of Emily. It had been a very long time since Matt had even mentioned her name. She thought that a bit strange, considering how close Matt and Emily had once been. Connor had never left her thoughts the whole time. Or perhaps she was the strange one and it was perfectly normal to put an ex partner completely out of your mind.

"I want to be at the ARC," Connor said firmly. "It's all I have of my old life now." He gave Abby a look before turning his attention back to Lester. "Though I appreciate that you guys have managed perfectly well without me all this time and there may not actually be anything for me to do."

"On the contrary," Lester responded. "After you disappeared, we found ourselves back in the same position we were in when you, Abby and Danny disappeared the first time. However, we were saved by our friends in Vancouver this time."

"Evan Cross? Yes, I remember him."

"Even with his team on board, we made very little progress in terms of actual research because of the restrictions we imposed on ourselves. The technology was upgraded, made slicker and ..." Lester frowned as her tried to think of the correct word.

"Sexier?" Connor offered. Abby stifled a giggle. He may have had a hard time over the last ten years, but he was still essentially the Connor she knew.

"That's not quite the word I would have used but... you understand what I mean."

There were amused looks all round, then Becker spoke up. "So, I guess this means Temple is officially back on the team?"

"Looks that way," Connor grinned. "Thought you'd finally got rid of me, eh?"

"Of course, you don't have to start straight away," Matt said and the mood changed. "You should take a couple of weeks personal time, getting yourself sorted with a place to live and all the essentials you'll need for a normal life. Most of your things are in storage, but you'll probably want a completely fresh start."

Lester nodded. "The Minister is already arranging for some money to be advanced to you. Should be enough to put down a deposit on a place at least."

"I'll help you look if you like?" Abby said. It was the first time she'd actually spoken since the meeting had begun and suddenly she felt like everyone's eyes were on her, judging her and looking for signs of her cracking. "If you need driving somewhere to look at a place..."

"Connor can use one of the ARC vehicles until he's in a position to purchase his own car," Matt said. Connor nodded gratefully, glancing almost apologetically at Abby.

Lester cleared his throat and looked anxiously at his watch. "I don't think we need to make any decisions about the exact nature of Connor's role at the ARC for a few days at least. I'll have Jess meet you tomorrow, set you up with the relevant identification and access that you'll need and then she can guide you through the new set ups and we'll take it from there. Now, it's Sunday. I haven't seen my wife and kids since early yesterday morning and I am sure you all need to salvage what is left of your weekend. Go home. I'll see you all tomorrow. Connor, the hotel and room service is at your disposal. Just don't go overboard with the pay per view porn channels." He nodded and stood up, closed the folder and tucked it under his arm. Everyone took that as their cue to leave too.

As they slowly left the room, Becker was checking his phone. "Matt, Abby... Jess says she's making dinner. A full Sunday roast if you're interested?"

"She's sure? Becker, you and Jess have already done so much the last couple of days with taking care of Louise, we couldn't possibly impose any more," Abby said.

"Of course she's sure! And you know she loves having Louise over." Becker paused and swallowed nervously and lowered his voice, "She also said I should ask Connor, but if that's too weird, I can..."

"I don't have a problem with that," Matt said. "He might open up a little more about his experiences in a less formal setting too." Abby smiled and kissed his cheek. "What was that for?"

"Just... thank you. Becker, invite Connor for dinner. I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

Matt slipped his hand into Abby's as they watched Becker go over to Connor. It felt odd. Matt rarely showed any kind of affection like this when they were at work and she couldn't help thinking it was for Connor's benefit. Normally, she'd be annoyed at him for something like that, but she realised that she was partly to blame for him feeling a bit insecure. She'd let it pass this time.

Connor looked over, almost as if he was seeking permission to say yes to Becker's invite. She gave him a slight nod and saw him relax a little. "That's really kind of Jess," he said to Becker. "Thank you. I don't remember the last time I had a roast dinner. In fact, I don't really remember the last time I sat down to a proper home cooked meal."

-o-

Louise pounced on Matt and Abby the moment they stepped into the lounge at Jess and Becker's place, receiving hugs and kisses from both before Matt scooped her up into his arms. "I hope you've behaved yourself for Auntie Jess?"

"Of course I have, daddy! I've been helping to make our dinner. We're having beef and roast potatoes with Yorkshire pudding. I made the batter. It's just like the one you make when we have pancakes."

"That sounds yummy, sweetheart! I can't wait!" He let her down and Louise went off and out into the garden to play with the dog. "Is there anything we can do to help, Jess?"

"You could open a bottle of wine if you like or go and find some beers in the pantry. It's been a while since we had a dinner party, but I figured that cooking a dinner would be the last thing on your minds after this weekend."

"Thank you, Jess. I really don't know what we'd have done without you. Louise hates staying at my brother's, so he's only a last resort." Abby smiled, ushering Matt away towards the pantry to go and find the drinks. The door opened, and Becker and Connor came in, carrying a couple of bags of shopping.

"Connor! Look at you!" Jess exclaimed, rushing forward to give him a warm hug. Connor's face reddened, but he returned the hug and clung to Jess a moment longer than was necessary.

"Sorry," he muttered, "'I've really missed proper human contact."

"Well, in that case." Jess hugged him again and kissed him lightly on the cheek. They both blushed and then Connor took a step back, glancing around the room and taking it all in.

"Nice place, looks a bit more 'lived in' than that apartment you had when Abby and I stayed with you. Who'd have thought you and old soldier boy would settle down into domestic bliss!"

"She wore me down," Becker muttered. "I didn't stand a chance."

The sound of a dog barking excitedly could be heard from the garden, followed by the giggles of a child. "You've got a kid and a dog too?" Connor asked, raising his eyebrow at Becker.

"Just a dog. The kid you can hear is Matt and Abby's daughter."

Connor's smile dropped as he moved closer to the window to get a look at Louise. He stood in silence, watching the little blonde girl chase the dog round in a circle, lost in his own thoughts. Abby moved closer to him and rested her hand on his arm. "Matt was right," Connor said quietly. "She is every bit as beautiful as her mother. It's almost like looking at a mini clone of you."

"She takes after me in a lot of ways, but she also has a lot of Matt in her too. Some of her facial expressions are very much him." Abby saw Connor's face crumple for a brief moment and she regretted reminding him that Matt was the father of her daughter. "Would you like to meet her? We have a bit of time before dinner's ready."

She led Connor outside, feeling eyes on her and watching her every move. She knew it was Matt, but she didn't dare turn around to confirm it, fearing what she'd see in those eyes. She wasn't prepared to get into an argument with Matt now just because he felt insecure. It was his problem and he was going to have to start dealing with it very soon if Connor was going to be working at the ARC again.

"Louise, sweetheart. There's someone I want you to meet," Abby called. The little girl stopped her game and skipped over to Abby, looking at Connor with a frown on her face. "This is..."

"I know who he is," Louise said, with that 'matter of fact' tone only children seem to master. "He's Connor and he used to be your boyfriend before he got lost in an anomaly and you got married to daddy."

Abby was confused for a moment, wondering how Louise knew so much. Then she remembered that Louise had stumbled upon some of Abby's old photo albums one afternoon when they were looking for something else, and Abby had spent the best part of an hour explaining how sometimes people went through anomalies too and that Connor had been lost for a long time. Louise had asked if she had been through one, and Abby had simply replied that she had, but it was not a pleasant experience and she didn't intend to do it again.

"She knows about anomalies?" Connor asked.

"Unfortunately yes. Matt and I decided we shouldn't keep our work a secret from her, but we're regretting it a little now. Her stories are getting her into a bit of bother at school."

Connor crouched down so that he was at the same level as Louise and held out his hand for her to shake. "I'm pleased to meet you, Louise."

Louise giggled and shook his hand. "Is it true that my mummy hit a Raptor with a tree branch and knocked it out so she could rescue you?"

"Yep! You should have seen your mum in action back in the day. She was pretty awesome."

"You were pretty good too, Connor," Abby said. "Once you'd learnt how to use a gun properly."

Connor looked at Louise. "Did she ever tell you that I shot her with a tranquilliser once? By accident of course. It made her fall asleep!"

Louise's eyes widened. "No! I bet she was really cross with you afterwards?"

Connor nodded and found himself laughing with the girl. Abby was right about him getting on with her. The dog barked, reminding them that he was there and wanted to carry on playing. "Do you have any pets of your own?"

"Mummy has lots of different kinds of lizards, but all the prehistoric ones have to stay in the menagerie at the ARC. I'd better go and throw the ball for Max." Louise nodded politely at Connor then ran off, calling Max to bring his ball to her. Connor and Abby both watched her for a few minutes in silence, then Connor took a deep breath to try and make conversation.

"Do you still have Rex?"

Abby shook her head sadly. "Passed away a couple of years ago."

"Sorry. I thought that little guy would live on forever, you know?"

"Me too. I guess we never knew just how old he really was, and being in captivity..." She sighed and glanced back at the window. There was movement there, probably Matt watching them and not wanting to be caught.

"She seems a good kid, Abby. Whatever problems she's having at school, she'll deal with it."

Abby nodded and there was an awkward silence as they both focussed their attention on Louise and Max.

-o-

"Make yourself useful and go and set the table," Jess ordered, gently pushing Matt away from the window. "It'll take your mind off things."

"I'm fine," Matt protested, but took the hint and went to find the drawer with the cutlery in.

"No you're not," Jess argued. "And it's perfectly natural for you to feel a bit concerned about this whole situation. You wouldn't be human if you didn't, so don't beat yourself up over it."

Matt hesitated for moment. Maybe he could confide his fears to Jess? Even though she often came across as a bit ditzy, she was also a good listener and had an incredible insight into human behaviour. Becker sometimes joked that she should have been a psychologist, but Jess just laughed and said her knowledge was purely based on paying attention to people. As he began to lay out the knives and forks he glanced up and held Jess's gaze for a moment.

"Jess, what do you..." His question was cut short by Becker coming in to see if Jess needed him to start carving the meat. She gave him his instructions and he disappeared again.

"Sorry, Matt. You were going to ask me something?"

He shook his head. "Doesn't matter now, the moment's passed."

"If you need to talk in private, perhaps we could schedule a meeting at the ARC in your office tomorrow?"

"Maybe. Thank you." He took a deep breath, deciding to think about whether he really did want to talk to Jess about his personal stuff or not overnight. For now, he would try to push all of his own emotions to the back of his head and put on his professional mask, just like he used to do when he first became part of the ARC team. It was easier to deal with this situation if he removed the emotional element.

Dinner passed relatively quietly. Everyone suddenly realised just how hungry they were and tucked in. Conversation was kept fairly light, especially with Louise around, but once she'd finished her dinner and Abby allowed her to leave the table to go and play, the mood changed.

"Well, this is almost like old times, isn't it?" Becker said, leaning back in his chair, hand on his full stomach.

"Almost," Jess responded. "Except there's no Emily."

"Yes, what did happen to Emily?" Connor asked, directing his question straight at Matt. "You all told me about what happened to Danny, but there's been no mention of her."

"She decided to go travelling, she wanted to experience everything that the 21st Century has to offer. Lester sorted her out with a passport and travel documents and off she went."

"Did she leave before or after you started seeing Abby?"

"Before," Abby chipped in, giving Connor a look that she hoped he would be able to read as 'shut up'.

"It was Emily that ended our relationship," Matt continued. "She said she was setting me free so that I could be with the one I really cared about. I didn't actually understand what she meant by that, until Jess pointed out that I'd been spending a lot of time with Abby."

"And then you couldn't wait to get your paws on her." Connor almost spat out the words, and the look on his face was one of bitterness and anger that Abby had never seen on him before. She felt her own anger well up too. Connor may be upset that she had moved on and married someone else, but that didn't give him the right to get angry at Matt. If anyone, it should be her that he got angry with.

"It wasn't like that, Connor," she said, trying to push down the anger and remain calm.

"She's right," Becker said. "Abby had a really bad time after you disappeared. We all tried to help her but she just pushed us all away, Matt included."

"Especially in those first few weeks," Jess added. "It was a difficult time for everyone, and then Abby had her miscarriage and we all knew we had to..." She stopped, realising what she'd just said.

"Miscarriage?" Connor's face began to crease, his eyes taking on a watery look as he fought back tears. "You were pregnant when I went through that anomaly?"

Abby nodded, blinking away her own tears. Matt reached for her hand under the table but she pushed it away. "I was going to tell you that night. I'd only found out for certain a few hours before."

Connor stood up and pushed his chair back, making it scrape noisily on the laminate flooring. "Jess, thank you for a lovely dinner and your hospitality, but I think it's time I left." He nodded a goodbye to the rest of the table and practically ran to get out of the door. There was a stunned silence for a moment, then after they heard the front door slam shut, Jess cleared her throat.

"I'm so sorry, Abby! I should've realised that he wouldn't know about the baby."

"He'd have found out sooner or later, I suppose," Abby sighed and began to stand up too. "I should go after him."

Matt tried to make her sit down. "He clearly wants to be on his own. Leave him be. He'll make his way back to the hotel and..."

"You don't know him!" Abby felt a tear fall down her cheek. She wasn't sure if it was the painful memory of losing the baby, or whether it was for Connor, but either way she was struggling to hold back from crying. "He's had several shocks over the last couple of days. I need to go to him so we can have a proper chat, just the two of us." She grabbed her bag and began to move towards the door.

"Abby, please."

"I need to do this, Matt. Take Louise home and make sure she has a bath and brushes her teeth before she goes to bed if I'm not back in time."

Matt sat, stunned into silence as he watched Abby go. He stared at the closed door after she'd gone through it for some minutes, only vaguely aware of Jess's arm around his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Nothing would though, not for some time. This was what he'd feared the moment he heard that Connor had returned. His wife had gone after her former lover, and this was the beginning of the end.


	4. Chapter 4

**Apologies for taking so long to update. Real life is a pain at the moment. I hope you're all still interested... Comments and love feed the muse ;) Thanks**

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"Connor?" Abby called, looking around to try and see where he had gone. He'd only had a few minutes head start on her, and he was not familiar with the area. Surely he couldn't have gone far? She supposed he'd go the only way he knew, and that would be the way that Becker had driven from the nearby supermarket, but there was no sign of him.

She quickened her pace, not wanting to run and wear herself out yet since she had no idea how far she was going to have to go to catch up with him. She thought she saw him leaning against a wall just by the corner, but as she got closer she realised it wasn't him.

"Have you seen a man go past? Bit scruffy looking in black combat trousers and a white t-shirt?" she asked.

"Yeah, 'bout three minutes ago. He asked if there was a tube station nearby, so I sent him off that way," the young man pointed to the road on the left. "If you've missed him, there's only one way he can go from here since we're the end of the line, but it connects to the old District line at Ealing..."

"Thank you," Abby nodded gratefully and set off in search of the tube station. She knew that would be where she'd catch up with him since he didn't have any money that she knew of. He'd always hated travelling on the tube before, saying he was claustrophobic. It was one of the few things they argued about. Abby refused to take the car into central London to go shopping, so Connor would pout like a teenager the whole time they were on the short tube journey.

The tube station was deserted, being a Sunday evening, so Abby used her card to go through the barrier and hopped onto the down escalator. Connor must have had some money after all or climbed the barrier since there was no-one around to stop him. There was a train waiting to leave – one minute to go according to the electronic sign, and as there was no sign of Connor on the platform, Abby got onto the train assuming he was already on it.

It pulled out of the station, and Abby walked down the otherwise empty carriage. If he was on this train, he'd got into another carriage. Where would he be going? She checked the electronic map on the side of the carriage, only two stops on this line and then you had to either get off or change onto the old underground system that Connor would be familiar with into central London. Gut instinct told her that he'd get off and continue on foot, especially if he had no money.

She was right, he got out and ran up the staircase towards the exit barrier. Abby gave chase, calling after him. He leapt the ticket barrier and was almost out of sight by the time Abby had used her card to exit at the turnstile. She shook her head. The Connor she used to know wouldn't have dared break the law like that, and she was astounded at his agility. She considered herself pretty fit, and had been able to keep up with Connor without any trouble before, but now... Perhaps Matt was right. He wanted to be alone and she should give up now since he clearly didn't want her to catch up with him. He had surely heard her calling him.

Then she realised where he was heading for. This wasn't far from where they used to live, and there was a large park nearby that had a small river and a wooded area that was maintained by the parks authority but still relatively wild. They sometimes went there and just sat, listening to the sounds of nature and reminiscing about some of the better times they'd had in the Cretaceous. It made sense he'd go there now, looking for familiarity in a world where he was clearly feeling lost, confused and angry.

She slowed down, deciding to give him a little time alone since she now knew where he was going. She wasn't entirely sure what she would say to him anyway, so the delay would give her time to think too. After a few minutes, she made her way down the dirt track towards a quiet part of the river that was sheltered by several trees whose branches formed a large, protective canopy above. Connor was sat on a large, protruding root at the foot of one of the larger trees with his head down. Abby approached tentatively, almost holding her breath.

"You took your time," Connor sniffed. "Married life's slowed you down."

"If you knew I was following, why didn't you wait for me?"

"Because I wanted to do this on my terms."

Abby nodded and settled herself on another tree root, facing him. "Fair enough," she said. "I suppose you have a lot of questions?"

Connor remained silent for a few moments, his eyebrows knitting together as he thought about what he wanted to say. Then he looked Abby straight in the eyes. "How long had you known you were pregnant? If I'd had any idea that I was going to be a father, there's no way I would've done something as stupid as going through an anomaly."

"I'd suspected something for a couple of days, but I only took the test that morning whilst you were helping Jess with the new software update to the ADD." She blinked and reached for his hand, but he pulled back and she withdrew, placing her hands on her lap. "Would it have made a difference if you'd known?"

"Of course it would've! Wasn't that one of the things we talked about whilst we were planning the wedding? We were both going to ease up on the field work, take our responsibilities to each other and our potential family seriously and not put our lives at risk." He sniffed, then looked down at his feet. "Was it the worry and the stress over me that... that caused the miscarriage?"

"The doctor wouldn't say for certain. The stress may have contributed, but it may also have been just one of those things that would've happened even if you were around."

"It must've been hard for you."

"It was, but it was probably even harder for you. At least I had our friends around me, even if I did shut them out for a long time."

"Like Matt?" Connor looked up again, his expression flitting between anger and anguish as he made eye contact with Abby.

"Matt was there for me, just like Becker, Jess and Emily were. Whatever you're thinking about Matt, you're wrong. If anything, he held back." Connor sniffed and twitched his nose. Abby knew that as a sign that he was thinking, so she continued. "I was a bit of a nightmare to be honest. It's a wonder that any of them still wanted to talk to me. When that anomaly closed, I refused to leave the site. They all left me after a lot of arguing, but Becker came back a little while later with a couple of sleeping bags, a flask of coffee and some doughnuts. He said he'd camp out with me till morning, and if the anomaly hadn't reopened by then, he would drag me back to the ARC whether I liked it or not!" She smiled at the memory. It had been a bit of a shock that Becker had been the one to come and sit with her, and it was the first time she'd really sat down and had a proper conversation with him. Waiting for an anomaly to reopen was something he was far too familiar with, and she hadn't really appreciated just how difficult it was for him when she, Connor and Danny disappeared the first time.

"You sat with Becker all night waiting for me?"

"Not just Becker. It started to rain after a couple of hours and we were contemplating going to sit in the car. That was when Matt showed up with some waterproofs. They were either side of me and we just sat and chatted. I don't think either of them realise to this day just how much those first few hours meant to me."

Connor leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes briefly before clearing his throat to speak. "When I realised that the anomaly had closed, I stood there in disbelief for several minutes. Evan's device said there was another 20 minutes before it was due to close. I believed it was a glitch and it would reopen any minute, so I waited. It was probably a good two hours before I realised that I'd made a really stupid error, and that I should be thinking about getting myself to safety whilst I thought about my next move."

"I spent the night up in the highest branches of a tree that overlooked the anomaly site. I couldn't decide whether I should try to get some sleep to make sure I had the energy for the day ahead, or whether I should stay awake in case the anomaly reopened. It made me think about that first night we spent in the Cretaceous and I wished you were there, telling me what to do. I felt like crying, but I could hear your voice telling me how crying wouldn't help." He blinked and forced a laugh through the tears he was shedding. Abby moved closer and reached for his hand again, this time he allowed her to take it and she squeezed it, urging him to continue.

"When I woke up, I felt sick and my head felt like it was going to explode. I hoped it was just lack of food and dehydration causing it, so I tried to see if I could see a water source nearby. What I was seeing around me indicated I was definitely in the Mesozic era, but the air didn't feel right, not like when we were in the Cretaceous and could breathe fairly normally. I figured I was probably in the Jurassic period, and that my nausea and headache were down to higher levels of carbon dioxide than I was used to. It was the first time I was grateful for our time in the Cretaceous and how much it taught me about staying alive. I ate reasonably well, had clean water most days and kept my wits about me, making sure I didn't become a sitting target for one of the many predators I saw. I had to keep myself focussed during the day time, but at night, I'd climb back into the tree, close my eyes and think about getting back home to you."

"So, how long were you there for?" Abby asked, reaching for his face and then stroking his hair. "This hair style isn't ten years worth of growth, clearly you found civilisation at some point... or did you manage to teach a sauropod how to handle a pair of scissors?"

"I counted five full moons before I became ill. I started having panic attacks, gasping for air and I couldn't think straight. I knew if I stayed there for much longer, I'd literally suffocate, so I made some decisions. It was time to leave the anomaly site and head for the coast that I could see on the horizon from the top of the trees, hoping to find air with more oxygen in it. I also decided that the next anomaly I came across, I'd go through it, regardless of where it led. I ached all over, I was vomiting almost constantly, yet I managed to keep moving somehow. I think it was wondering what you were doing that helped me. I imagined you giving them all a hard time, making sure they were doing everything possible to find me. I could picture you sitting in our flat, waiting for me."

Abby could see the anger in his face again, so she tried to get him back to telling her about his journey, not wanting to get into an argument about how long she waited for him. "Did you make it to the coast? You always used to say that the Jurassic coastline would be something special."

"No. I'd been on the move for maybe 5 or 6 days when I saw the anomaly. At first, I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me, but as I approached and felt that familiar static in the air I suddenly stopped hurting and found energy from somewhere that got me over to it and through without hesitation. I remembered collapsing onto my back and my head hitting the ground, and that was it. When I woke, I was in a bed in a dark, damp room, lit only by a small candle. Turned out I was in the year 1492, and I'd been found by a villager who took me to the local abbey where the nuns took me in and nursed me back to health."

Abby resisted the urge to laugh. The thought of Connor being looked after by nuns amused her, but she could see from the look on his face that it had been a difficult time. "They must've thought you pretty strange?" she asked.

"If they did, they didn't say. I was completely out of it for over a week, and by the time I woke up they had bathed me and dressed me in a long cotton shirt. It was a bit itchy to be honest. but I was just grateful to be alive and breathing proper oxygen again. I repaid their kindness by helping to do some repairs around the place and in return they gave me food, clean clothes and a place to sleep. I could've stayed there as long as I liked, and would've done too. But then I came across one of the novice nuns working in the library one afternoon. She said it was her job to keep a journal of everything that happened, and I realised that I was mentioned in a number of her entries. I panicked, there was a record of my existence in a time that I shouldn't be in. I left that evening whilst the nuns were all at prayers."

"After that, I decided that I would need to avoid contact with other humans as much as possible. I hid out in a cave, only venturing out when I was hungry. I felt guilty when I had to steal food, so I always made an effort to pay it back in some way later – fixing stuff usually, or if I managed to catch something in the woods, I'd use what I needed then leave the rest at one of the homes where I'd stolen something from. It eased my conscience at least, and it was something I continued wherever I ended up – taking what I needed to survive and paying back in kind when I could."

"Only you would think about doing something like that, Connor!" Abby smiled. It was true, and it was that sort of selfless attitude that had attracted her to him in the first place. He'd been far from home, alone, hungry, ill and probably scared, and yet he was still thinking about what was right and wrong. It was that fact that was foremost in her mind as she asked the next question. She wanted to know, but she suspected she already knew the answer. "So if you avoided contact with others, you never made friends with anyone else, or... had a relationship?"

"Abby! The thought of being with another woman had never even crossed my mind. All I thought about was you, and how I could be back in your arms any time. I couldn't risk having any kind of effect on anyone's life, so the only time I actively sought another human was when I needed something – clothes, food, a haircut... But it was a very lonely time, and I actually preferred it when I was in an era when humans didn't exist. There's nothing worse than being in a crowd of people and not being able to talk to them." Connor sniffed and shifted awkwardly, he was beginning to feel a bit stiff from sitting on the root and stretched out his legs to ease out the knots in his muscles. Then he looked up. "It's getting dark. We should probably head home. At least you should, Matt will be wondering where you are."

Matt. Abby closed her eyes and the image of his face flashed into her mind. The look he had when she told him she needed to go after Connor made her heart ache. This was as difficult for him as it was for her and Connor, but he had to understand why she needed to spend time with Connor at the moment. Once Connor was settled again, she would work on her relationship with Matt and ensure they came out of this stronger.

"Matt will be fine," she said. "I'll make sure you get back to your hotel okay, and I'll get a taxi home from there." With a nod, Connor stood up and held out his hand to help Abby up. She took his hand and they began to walk back towards the tube station. It was only when Abby went to get her card out of her pocket that she realised she'd not let his hand go. She paid for a ticket for Connor, and when he looked a little embarrassed at the gift, she simply told him that he could buy her a coffee when he had his money from Lester.

She didn't want to push him for more information whilst they were on the tube. The other travellers were eyeing Connor suspiciously as it was. He did still look a bit of a mess even though he had clean clothes. They had to change twice before they were on the right line that would take them to the station by the hotel, and Abby could see the agitation on his face. She half expected him to start complaining that he felt claustrophobic any minute, but figured that was the old Connor and he'd experienced far worse things than travelling on the tube during his 10 years away.

When they were finally back to ground level and making their way toward the hotel, Abby resumed the conversation. She wanted to know more about what had happened to him so that she could begin to understand a little about who he was now. "So, after the nuns and the late 15th Century, where did you end up?"

"I stayed there for 14 months. There was an anomaly at one point, maybe about four months into my stay, and I went through it but I almost choked on the air the second I arrived and I turned back straight away. Couldn't say if it was an ancient past or some way in the future, I didn't stop to find out. The second anomaly took me to the Paleolithic era, quite fascinating really although I didn't know as much about that time as I probably should've. My area of specialism was..." He stopped, and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. You know what I studied."

"In every single, minute detail," Abby laughed, and squeezed his hand. They were almost at the entrance to the hotel now, and she felt Connor's grip on her tighten. Then she noticed his smile fade.

"I have so much I want to tell you, Abby," he sighed, reluctantly letting go of her hand. "Perhaps you could ask Matt if you could spend another evening with me some time."

"I don't need Matt's permission to spend time with a friend."

"It's a bit more complicated than that though, isn't it?"

"Only if we make it so." Abby looked at her watch. Louise would be sound asleep by now and Matt was probably trying to unwind with his audiobook and a bath. She could probably manage another hour or so, "Why don't I come up for a while? We could order a couple of beers on room service if you like?"

Connor looked a little puzzled then led the way through the hotel's reception area to the lifts and then to his room. Suddenly, Abby felt like the last ten years hadn't happened. This moment reminded her of those first few days after they had returned from the Cretaceous and they were staying at the Prospero apartment. She smiled as she watched Connor settle himself on the bed, leaning back with his hands behind his head.

When the beers arrived, she sat beside him and handed him his bottle. They sat in silence for a few moments, though it didn't feel awkward. There was a part of her that wondered how this would look to an outsider – a married woman in a hotel room with a man she used to be engaged to – but then she dismissed it. She'd never really worried about what other people thought before, so why should she start now.

"So, you avoided people as much as possible... for the whole ten years? Weren't you tempted even once to just go and join in with a group of people and talk to them?" Abby asked.

Connor wrinkled his nose. "I was in the Victorian era for a few months. Found myself on some big estate. The housekeeper took pity on me, said I reminded her of her son, and she said I could sleep in the stables until I was back on my feet as long as I stayed out of trouble. I did a bit of work, mucking out the horses, cleaning the saddles and stuff and she let me join the rest of the staff for the evening meal. I actually felt normal for the first time in a number of years, and I could see myself settling there if I wasn't missing you so much." He stopped and looked away to blink away a tear, then he took a long swallow of his beer before continuing.

"One afternoon, we were all summoned together. The young master of the house was getting married apparently, and his betrothed was visiting with her family that evening. Everything had to be perfect and everyone was expected to help make they'd be impressed. I'd not really paid much attention to who my hosts were, I figured the less I knew the better, and when the housekeeper starting talking about Master Henry, I didn't bat an eyelid. It was a pretty common name back then. I recognised his fiancé straight away even though she was a few years younger than when we knew her."

"Emily?"

Connor nodded. "I watched her all evening. She seemed reasonably excited about getting married on the surface, but you could tell that she was being pushed into it reluctantly. I wanted to try and take her on one side and warn her not to marry him, that she should run away now whilst she still could. I wanted to warn her about the anomalies and not to go through one." His facial expression changed, and Abby saw the same look in them that she'd seen when she'd told him she was married.

"I stopped myself," he said quietly. "I knew that I had to let events run their course. If she didn't go through that anomaly, she would never meet Matt. The romantic fool in me said that I couldn't stop true love, and that because Matt had saved my life and trusted me after all that New Dawn stuff, I at least owed him the chance to experience the kind of love with Emily that you and I did. If only I'd known that he'd dumped her in favour of you!"

Abby sat up angrily and slammed her bottle on the set of drawers at the side of the bed. "Connor! How many times do I have to say it? I'm not going to stay if you..."

"I'm sorry. I'm still trying to get my head around stuff," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Don't go."

She leaned back again and took a mouthful of beer. "Carry on with your story."

Maybe it was the effects of the beer, coupled with the stresses of the last couple of days and very little sleep, Abby wasn't sure, but as Connor continued she found herself feeling very sleepy. The familiar and almost comforting scent of Connor filled her nostrils as her head fell, and then she felt his warmth surround her as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
